Safety switch and fuse box



c. L.- EiDLlTZ.

SAFETY SWITCH AND FUSE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MHLH. 1919.

1,417,723, Patented May30,1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

CHARLES L. EIDLITZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO IIE'IBOPOLITAN ELECTRIC MANUFACTUEDIG COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY SWITG'H AND FUSE BOX.

Speoiflcationof Letters Patent. Patent d Dia y 30 1922.

Application filed. August 1d, 1919. Serial No. 317,515.

To all whom is may CONLGT'IL.

Beit known that I, CHARLES L. 13101112, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have'im vented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Switch and Fuse Boxes, of which the following is a hill, clear, and exact descri Jtion.

lidy invention relates to safety switch and fuse boxes and particularly to those using a rotary snap switch.

An object of my invention is toprovide a device of this kind which will prevent the door of the box from being opened until, and only when, the switch is in off position, and prevent closin of the door except when the switch is in o position.

l A further object is to provide u'devicc of this character which is simple and reliable, and of low cost of production.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention comprises among other things, the provision of a slot in the cover of the box through which the operating button of the switch passes, the slot being noncirculur with a portion of less radius than the greatestradius of the button or being otherwise so shaped that the cover can only he moved to open or closed position when the button and slot register, which registry can onlv occur when the switch is in ,otf"

ositiori. It may also, if desired, be utilized m connection with a slot-ted member rotating with the switch button and cooperating with a part carried by the cover to lock the switch against actuation when the rover in 0 Jen position and permit such operation w on the cover is in closed position. In the draw ings:

Figr. I. is a plan view u! one embodiment of my invention. the cover being shown in opened position run] the switch in oli" position;

Fig. 3 is also n phin view, but with the cover in closed position. the locking disc on the switch and the tongue on the cover being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the switch shown in u different position;

Fig. 4 is a partial side \"lEW of the device with the cover in raised or opened osition;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4. mt with the cover in closed position;

Fig. 6 shows the. catch in detail and detached from the box.

The switch and fuse plugs are carried in a casing 1, having a. cover 2 hinged thereto by on suitable means as at 3. The cover is hel in closed position by a catch 4, shown in detail in Fig. 6. The catch 4 which is fastened to the box in any suitable manner as by rivets 5, passes through a slot 6 in the cover and engages and holds the cover closed by means of struck out ortions 7, the reslliency of the catch causing" it to normally hold the cover closed and )ermitting it to yield to release the cover. ho catch has a hole 8 in its u per or projecting end, to accommodete loelnng means, if desired.

The switch 9 is of the rotary snap type and is preferably also of the double pole type, linvingthe doublecross contact arms in different lanes. The switch is carried on an insulating base 10, which also carries the binding osts 11, 12, 13 and 14, and fuse plugs 15. he wires entering the box are connected to binding posts 13 and 14, and the wires leaving the box are connected to bindlug posts 11 and 12. The fuse plugs 15 are shown here as of the selfcontamed or protected type, but maybe of any suitable kind, and connect binding posts 11 and 12 with the switch poles bymeans of contacts 16 and 17, the other switch poles being connected to binding posts 13 and 14. The fuse plugs are held in place yicldingly by the spring clips 18, thus permitting ready removal or rcnewal.

The switch stem '19 carries the usual operati w button 20, held thereon by escrew 21, an the stem has a hearing at its; upper end in the flat traverse bar 22, held within and across the box by screws 23. The cover 2 has a slot 24 therein, which is similar in shape to, but slightly larger than the button, with a [)OllZlOItOf less radius from the axis of rotation of the button than the outer most partof the button and which is so placed in the cover that the button passes through it when the cover is moved to'open or closed positions with the switch off and prevents passage of the button and thereby movement of the cover to open position whenever the switch is in on position.

The stem also curries thereon a locking disc 25 having two diametrically opposed slots 26 in its periphery, the diametricnl axis connecting the slots being in the same verti cal lane with that of the major length of the utton, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for example. The cover 2 carries a locking tongue 27 on its underside, adapted to coact with the disc 25 and slots 26. The tongue 27 is so shazped and placed on the cover, that when e cover is in closed position (FE. 531 the ton e is clear of the slot 26 in Y e so 25 an the switch can be freely operated. As soon as the cover is slightly raised, the corner 28 of the tongue engages in the slot and locks the switch in oil position if the switch is in that position and if the switch is not in off position, neither of the slots will be in register with the ton e and the corner-28 will engage under t e and prevent further opening of the cover. When the switch is in the o position with one of the slots registerin with the tongue, and the cover is raise the corner 29 will engage against the rear wall of the box and limit the openinp movement of the cover, and the tongue wil during the openin movement, remain within the slot and loo the switch against movement while the cover remains opened for any substantial distance.

' Assuming the device with the cover closed, as in Fig. 5 the button 20 can be manipulated at will to open and close the switch. The slot 24 being of a shape similar to the button 20 prevents the opening of the cover until the switch is in of? position, since the button and slot only ter and permit of an opening movement 0% the cover when the switch is in this position. The cover can be opened when desired for the purpose of inspection, or the renewal of fuses, solely when the switch is in 01! position whereby danger of shock by one forgetting to first turn the switch to ad position is avoided. In the embodiment illustrated, disc 25 will also look the cover against opening until the switch has been placed in oil position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 for example, The cover can then be opened and immediately, throu h entry of tongue 27 into one of the slots 56, the switch is looked against further actuation until the cover is again closed. It will thus be seen that since the switch must of necessity always be in the off position whenever the cover is not closed, there is no danger of electrical shock to the person renewing fuses or working in the box.

I claim:

1. In a safety switch and fuse box, the combination of a casing and a cover therefor, a switch within the casing and having an operating member projecting through the cover when the cover is in closed position, the member and ope through which it pro ects being so shauefi as to permit the cover to be opened w en the member is in certain positions and prevent it when in all other positions.

2. in a safety switch and fuse box the combination of a casing, and a. hinged cover therefor, a switch within the casing and hav- 1110' a rotary operati member ro'ectin thi ough the cover whdii the cover i s in closed position, the member and opening through which it projects being so she. ed as to permit the cover to be opened w on the member 15 in certain positions, and prevent it when the member is in all other positions.

3. In a safety switch and fuse box, :1 casing, a rotary switch within the casing having an operating member with a non-circular operating button, a cover for the casing having an aperture therein through which the member pro'ects when the cover is in closed position, t e aperture permitti pas sage therethrough of the button when in one relative position, during a movement of the cover, a portion of the edge of the aperture being at a lesser distance from the axis of rotation of the member than the extreme outermost part of the periphery of the button, but at a greater distance therefrom than the innermost part of the periphery of the button, whereby the aperture will revent the passage of the button therethroug when in other relative positions and thus lock the cover closed.

4. In a safety switch and fuse box, a casing, a rotary switch within the casing having an operating member with a non-circular operating button, a cover for the casing having an aperture therein through which the member projects when the cover is in closed position, the a aerturo having a shape similar to but slight larger than the button with which the button is aligned when the switch is in off position so as to permit passage therethrough of the button during an opening movement of the cover, and prevent such passage and consequent openmg of the cover when the button and aperture are out of alignment and the switch is in on position.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAS. L. EIDLITZ.

\Vitnesses:

Jos. J. Wssmzr, P. J. SHELLEY. 

